(Ravine POV)

"Ravine, these last couple of chapters have been a little bit wishy washy. You are going to have to revise some of these, okay?" Sister Charity said to me.

"Yes, sister." I replied to her.

"Is something up? You seem a little down. You should be quite thrilled because you're almost finished with the book you're writing. Just a few more months and you will be marching up the stage already." Sister said.

"I have no reason to be thrilled at all." I replied to her.

"Why? It's your last year here in Tigers. Cheer up! Did something happen between you and Sash?" She asked.

"My stepmother was diagnosed with Stage 4 Pancreatic cancer." I told her in a deadpan voice.

"What?" Sister Charity gasped. "Oh my God! Ravine, I am so sorry, son!" She said.

"I know. It seems like my cynicism towards the existence of God is now stronger more than ever." I told her.

"If you want to take a break from writing for a while, I would totally understand. I don't want you to be under a lot of stress." She said.

"Don't be ridiculous, sister! I want to carry on with my writing. I have a lot to say right now about your so-called God." I said and she looked down in pity for me.

"If you need anyone to talk to, I am here, okay?" She said.

"Thanks."

(Sash POV)

I am currently with Fides right now, trying to look charming and sweet in front of all these people. When you're in a love team, you really have to do your best to make your fans giddy and squirm in happiness and that's exactly what we're trying to do but after hearing Ravine's problems, I couldn't concentrate much on the job at hand. I was so worried for him.

"Hey Mikey? You okay?" Fides said as she clicked her fingers in my face.

"Huh? I am fine, don't worry about me." I said.

"I can see people staring through my peripheral vision but let's pretend we're not noticing them." She whispered to me before sipping her smoothie. I became fidgety all of a sudden and I kept tapping the table with my knuckles trying to think about how I can help or at least make Ravine feel better in this situation.  

"Is it Ravine you're thinking about?" Fides asked.

"Yes." I smiled.

"I would love to meet him, you know? But it seems like he's not really fond of me because he thinks I'm stealing you away from him." She said.

"Don't be ridiculous. Ravine doesn't mind us being together. He knows it's part of the job but he does stress about my absences in school and me missing out some quizzes." I said to her.

"He sounds like the perfect boyfriend." Fides smiled.

"He is. He really is but he's going through a rough time right now." I said.

"I can tell by the way you're acting. You look kind of distraught. Do you mind telling me about it?" She said.

"Well, I'd rather not if you wouldn't mind." I said, keeping it as private as possible.

"Okay, I respect your decision." Fides replied.

"What about your boyfriend? Is he frustrated with your absences as well?" I asked.

"Oh my God! I feel like he's reacting ten times worse than Ravine every time. He's the jealous type but not in the violent way. He never got physical with me at all. He's actually very caring and sweet but he's very paranoid and if something upset him, he's not going to talk to me for like a couple of hours." She giggled.

"Isn't that a bit...toxic?" I asked.

"No, not at all. What he does is instead of voicing out his opinions that might end up hurting me, he just keeps his mouth shut in order to avoid an outburst. Afterwards, when he's calm, he's going to talk to me as gently as he can so he can get his point across without any screaming or yelling. Just a little confrontation won't hurt anybody, would it?" Fides said.

"Oh...well, I am glad he's able to get ahold of himself and his temper for you." I praised.

"I know right!" Fides laughed. "Anyway, if you need to be with Ravine in these times, we can just both come up with an excuse for us to be able to leave early every time we meet. I don't want to take up much of the time that's for Ravine because I feel like he needs you in these moments."

"Thank you so much, Fides."

"You know I got you every time, Mikey!" She said before we did a fist bump together.

In a way, I am dreading what's in store for me in the upcoming days. Ravine is at his most vulnerable right now. He has a lot on his plate right now and it's just getting worse everyday for him. He's already stressing out about our rocky relationship and my frequent dates with Fides and now, he has to worry about the condition of his stepmother too. He got into a double-whammy situation and I can't imagine how it's like to be in his shoes right now. I feel so bad for him and I wish I can help him. We both know what's to come for his family and the saddest part is that he's forced to watch her beloved stepmother wither away. It is a prolonged agony at its finest and it shouldn't happen to anyone. He's already cynical about life but I fear that this next chapter that he's about to face will make his world view even darker than before. I feel so bad as he's slowly getting consumed by his anger and bitterness. What will I ever do to make him happy?

At the same time, there's a huge opportunity that's at stake here and that is the chance of becoming something more than I am. I have been lost my entire life and this is the first time I found who I want to be. This is the first time I found my passion and calling and that is to be an actor. I have to keep this dream alive for myself but in these moments, I know I have to set this aside for a while to be there for my love.

What kind of man am I if I choose my dream over him? I am not going to leave him and I will never leave him. I don't care if this dream slips out of my hand. I will always choose Ravine and nothing else.